Hobby horse



J. L. BELL HOBBY HORSE July 12, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 8, 1951 44- C/O/m L, Be BY Immur J. L. BELL HOBBY HORSE July 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1951 da/7 L B INVENTOR ATTORNEY J. L. BELL July 12, 1955 HOBBY HORSE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 8, 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent HGBBY HGRSE dohn L. Bell, Baitimore, Md.

Application Becember 8,1951, Serial No. 260,639

3 Caims. (Cl. 272-=.5 3.1)

The present invention relates -to an improvement in hobby horses, and inparticular to atypeithat maybe constructed principally or' sheet material such .as iplywood and the like.

One object of theinvention is to .provide a toy of this character in which the several .moving vparts resemble :and simulate more nearly the movements-oa live horse.

Another object or" the invention is to provide a hobby horse that may be substantially constructed oL` at vply board or similar material .and standard .wood yturnings such as dou/el turnings.

Still another object oi' the invention .is to provide an improved adjusting meansfor adjusting the tension of the element providing the recovery motion ofthe toy in proportion to the weight of the rider.

While several objects ot kthe invention have been particularly pointed out, other objects .will become more apparent as the nature of the invention .is more fully dis- Figure iV is an enlarged sectional View taken on'the line of Finire l.

Figure v is nlarged lsectional .view taken along the line 5 5 ol' Figo Figure is an enlurfed .View of `the resilient band member showing the mediador" attaching the same to .its supports.

Figure Vit is a view similar to that shown in 'Figure Vi in which a coiled tension spring is `nsediint-place ofthe elastic band mem er.

Figure Viii stirrup to be used the hobby horse.

Figure lX is view showing a :modified 'form of 'the hobby horse.

Figure X is a sectional View taken along the line 10-10 ot" Figure iX.

Figure Xi is an enlarged .ll-.11 of Figure iX.

Referring to the drawings. the hobby horse comprises a body member l2, which is supported by a pair-offront legs t4 i5 and a pair ot rear legs 1.6 and 17. Both pairs ot' legs are pivota'lly connected ,to the body .member 12 by pins 22 and 24. The pin 22 is mounted in members 26, 26', 23 and 23 which are xedly secured to the underside oi the body member. The pin 24, about which the upper ends ot the rear legs are pivoted, is held by the blocks, or members, Si) and 32 in substantially the same manner as is the pin 22 for supporting the front legs.

The lower ends of the front and rear legs are connected by a support 34. The front and rear pairs of legs are pivotally connected to this support at 31 and 33 respecview taken along Vthe line 1 enlarged View showing u form of v y `2 tively which maintains the lower, or foot, ends of the legs at. a iiXed distance and allows the lower ends ofthe legs to rock on the iloor or other supporting surface.

Extending between the two front legs is a lixed crossbar member 35. To this member 36 is fastened a head and neck member 40. The lower port-ion 4050i the head and neck portion is fixedly secured to `the member 36 by the nails 43. or other 'suitable'means Thehead and neck member is pivoted about the pin 22 and extends through a slot `formed .centrally at the forward end o'f the body portion. Located substantially centrally 'of the body and extending downwardly from the under Surface thereof is a roundedmember 21 forrrece'iving a-saddle girth which will be referred 'to' hereinafter in more detail.

The front and rear legs have extending inwardly oilset portions 2id', 1'5, lo" and 17. Extending between ythe oftset portions of each of the front and rear pairs of legs are pins 42 and 4a. "these pins are diametrically opposite when thelegs are in a normal upright position. Secured to these pins and extending therebetween is a ilat resilient strip, or band, 5, preferably of rubber. However, any other suitable means may be used such as a coiled tension spring d6 as shown in Figure 7. One end i or the resilient strip isrnorma'lly imed to one of the pins,

shown in Figure 6, at d8. 'The `strip is rst tacked -to the pin and wrapped several times around the pin and extended over to the pin 4d where it is also tacked in a similar manner. The pinta-1l is not xedly secure-:l Vto the rear leg members, but may be rotated to Vwind the strip to increase yits tension. The'pin is held against rotation by the arrangement shown in Figure 5, Sur- -roundin the a erture in thele7 member is a fixed taered loci; Si?, which is also provided with an aperture to receive the pin. Carried the pin is la collar 52 which is slidably iixed to the pin 44 by u pin which operates within and along a slot 55 in the pin 4. Also secured to the pin d4 `is a fixed collar S8. Located between the two collars 52 and 5S is a compressible member 60, auch as sponge rubber. Surroundingthe aperture in the leg Afor admitting the pin 44 are a plurality of'smaller aper tures 62 for receiving pins 64 and 64. By this arrange ment the collar 52 may be moved inwardly from the leg against the member 6G and =rotated lte tighten or loosen the band 2S for adjusting the tension of the member to correspond to the weight of the rider.

In Figure 8 is shown a type of stirrup 63 that may be used on the ends of the 'front-pin VV42 for rocking the toy. The pin i2 is provided with grooves 42' for receiving a pin 69 carried by the stirrup for `rotatably retaining the stirrup on the pin. The Ystirrup is carried on a hub meniber 70 having an aperture therethrough for accommodating the pin 4t2. The stirrup is so constructed that it may be easily attached or removed. The toy may beoperated by alternately applying pressure -either to the pin itseil or to the stirrup when attached to the pin.

if a coiled spring, as -s'hown in Figure 7, is used in place of the resilient Lstrip, allat ybe'ltlike member 47 secured to the spring adjacent the rotatable pin 44 similar to the strip `itself and is lwin'dable Iabout the pin 44, previouslyV describedffor the band member 45.

In iFigure 9 is shown la modified form lof ltoyythe principal difference `in :this form being that the vpin 42 does. not extend through the front 'leg member as shown in Figures l and 2 to provide a afoot lrest fand Ameans for rocking the hobby horse back and forth. The toy rocked by a pair of stirrups 71 and 72. These stirrups are suspended from a pair of straps 73 and 74 which are supported over a pair of pulleys 75 and 75', the opposite end of the strap being secured to a pin, or member, 76 attached to and extending between the front leg member in front of the pin 42. In this modification, the ofi-set itself. Y

Y for rapid production.

portions 14V and 15 of the toward the center of the body by a block 77 as shown in Figure l0. This is to afford operationV of the stirrups Y without interfering with the front leg members..

In both forms the head is provided with a rein 89 by which the head may be moved rearwardly as indicated In order to make the hobby horse look more lifelike, the horse is provided with a bridle 79 and a tail 81. Also, there is provided a removable saddle 85 which is provided writha at bottom in order that it may restv securely on therupper surfaceV of the body member. The saddle has Va realistic girth 86 which is fastened about the member 21. VThe saddle also is provided with pins 87 which are receivable withinv a recess within the body member for locating the saddle in the proper place, while the girth is utilized to hold the saddle downward Vupon the body member.

In operation of the form shown primarily in Figures l, 2 and 3,`the rider is normally seated in the saddle 85 with the feet on each end of the pin or member42, and

preferably holding on to the reins. By pressing downwardly, as in normally riding, the portions 14 and 15 'of the-,frontrlegs are moved downwardly, while the portions 16' and 17 move upwardlyrrocking the body backwardly and the'head and neck member upwardly as shown in dotted lines at 40". This motioncan also be produce and aided by pulljngbackwardly on the reins 80. By moving the off-set portions of the leg members in opposite directions, ythe band 45 will be stretched, and when the pressure on the member 42 is released, the resilient band 45-urges the legs back to substantially an upright position. By repeating the pressure tothe member 42 and pulling on the reins 80,V a rocking motion is produced.

Y `If desired, the Vstirrup shown in Figure 8 may be inserted'over the ends of the member 42 and the pressure is applied to the stirrup instead of directly upon the pin The form shown in Figures 9 to 11Y operates in substantially the same` manner, Vexcept when pressure is ape lother forms or modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined by the scope of the appending claims.

I claim: l. In a hobby horse comprising `a horizontal body member, front and rear pairs of supporting legs therefor front legs Vare spaced inwardly ends extending rearwardly and forwardly respective'rlyrbetween the upper and lower `pivot points, a connecting pin extending between the offset portions of both the front andV rear legs for receiving a resilient tension member, a resilient tension memberk having its ends attached to the pins in the offset portions acting to normally urge theV leg members to their upright position when the Vupper ends of the leg'members and the body member are moved back and forth and stirrups connected with'the oliset` portions of each of the front leg members for normally imparting a rearward motion to the upper ends of the leg members and the body member when the stirrups are depressed.

2. In a hobbyl horse constructed of sheets of relatively narrow material of uniform thickness comprising arrelatively thin horizontal body member, front and rear pairs of supporting legs having their upper ends pivotally conhaving their upper ends pivotally connected to the body member, a rigid spacing support extending between the Y upper ends of the front legsand a leg positioning support adjacent the lower ends of the legs and pivotally connected therewith for xedly positioning the distance between the lower Vends of the front and rear pairs of legs, Ya single Y head and a neck'memberattached centrally of the 'support extending'between the upper ends of the front legs, the vneck member extending upwardly through Ya slot in the kfront center portion of the body member; the front and rearlegs having an oset portion adjacent their upper nected adjacent the lowerV surfaces ofthebody member,

a support adjacent the lower ends of the legs and pivot-VV allyV connected thereto Yfor fixedlypositioning thedistance between each pair of legs and between the lowerV ends of the front and rear legs,'a cross-bar having its outer ends rigidly connected to the two front legs adjacent their upper ends, a vertical single movable head-and a neck member carried centrally of the said cross-bar, the neck member extending upwardly through a slot in the central front section of the horizontalbody, the front and rear leg Vmembers having adjacent their upper ends opposite offset portions extending inwardly from a line between their upper and lower pivot points, a pin extending bel Y i tweenl the offset portions of Veach pair of legs, a resilient member extending between the pins of the front and rear legs for normally urging the leg members to their upright position when the horse is rocked back and forth and vstirrups connected with the offset portions of the front legs for rocking the said horse back andfforth asthe stirrups are depressed and released. Y Y

3. Ina hobby horsecomprising a body member, Yfront and rear pairs of supporting legs thereforv having Vtheir upper ends pivotally connected to the body member, a

Vleg spacing'support adjacent the lower ends of the legs and pivotally connected thereto for fixedly positioning the distance between the lower ends of'front and'rear legs,'a single movable head and a neck member supportedrcentrally of the body by the front legs and movable within a slot relatively to the body member, the front and rear leg members'having oppositely disposed offset portions extending inwardly from a point between (their upper and lower pivots, vmeans extending between the offset portions Y of both the vfront and rear legs for holding a at sheet of elastic material, said elastic material having its ends xedly secured under tension to said holding means, at least one of the said' holding means being rotatable and adapted to rolll up one end of the elastic strip toV adjust the tension of the said strip to different weight riders and Y stirrups connected withv the offset portions of the front legs for rocking the horseback and forth.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PAT l`-Y1`SV 60,336 Brown g Dec. 1l, 1866 2,302,239 McKinney Nov. 17, 1942 2,363,333 Johnson Nov. 21, 1944 2,421,270 Kendall May 27, i947 t 2,467,236 Sefton et al. -2-; Apr. 12, 1949 2,545,231 Y,Glumer etal.- Mar. l3, 1951 

